"Let the rain kiss you.
Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops.
Let the rain sing you a lullaby."
Let the rain sing you a lullaby."
Langston Hughes
Frédéric Chopin - "Raindrop" Prelude, Op 28, No. 15
My last trip to the Alps gave me spring and April showers. I decided then that I should start pushing my camera to the max and improve my photography skills. It was basically let’s see what we are both made of. Of course my PENTAX K-7 DSLR is made of metal, rubber, circuitry and glass. Me? Well, I am “made of sugar and spice and everything nice,” because that is what little girls are made of, according to an old popular nursery rhyme, "What are little boys made of". That, of course, is another story.
The above aside, I spent that trip photographing everything that caught my eye, and really gave the Pentax a workout, while improving on my skills. Since then I haven’t stopped. Besides the flower, insects, mountains and anything of interest that catches my eye, I also photograph raindrops. Raindrops are not simple things to photograph, (or anything small for that matter), when you don’t always have both lenses with you and you are sometimes stuck using the 55-200mm. This is the case with these wet green snaps.
The raindrops also has set off childhood memories, like the old John (once upon a time Johnny) Farnham's cover of B.J. Thomas’s old number “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on my Head.” B.J.'s version featured in the movie “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” releases in 1969. Like a nursery rhyme, this number has stuck in the memory, having made it to number 1 on the Aussie Pop Charts in 1970. I included the YouTube video below of John’s, then Johnny, cover of the song. I have a vague memory that I use to play it on the local's jukebox, when I was out with my parents and Dad gave me some small change. I think he stopped giving me small change, after it was the only song I chose for weeks on end.
Another memory will always be the sound of the raindrops on the tin roof at my Grandparent’s farm in Tasmania. It rains a lot in Tasmania. Lying in bed at night, having chosen the prime location at the corner of the verandah, just behind the chimney stack of the living room, the raindrops would beat a melodic symphony on the unlined tin roof, which was quite mesmerising. It could always lull you into a sound, dreamless sleep.
I did a little more research on raindrops in music, found that they get some rather nice coverage in a few songs, ambient music and the pure natural sound of rain. I purposely did not choose the Sound of Music number. [My sister, I suspect not be disappointed in the decision ;). I have provided the link to that one, in the selection of "Raindrops" links below* :)].
So in combination with a little raindrop music, here are some of my better shots of the raindrops, collected from April up until last weekend. They are a start and I suspect that with all things, they will improve in time. Raindrops may be simple and small, but nevertheless they hold a beauty, that begs a slight pause and a moment of appreciation. Hence my first choice of Chopin’s “Raindrops” to lead into this post.
John Farnham - Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head (1970)
YouTube Channel - austv2
"Tears of joy are like the summer raindrops pierced by sunbeams."
Hosea Ballou
* Just like a drop in the bucket. so is this list of "Raindrops." W.Heron, 2014
Raindrops Keept Fallin' on my Head - B. J Thomas - YT Chanel: UschisChannel2
Raindrops - Deepcentral ft Eleftheria - YT Channel: Cobalt Music
"Sleep Video" 45mins of Raindrops Natural Sounds - YT Channel: yogaduke
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